Coolest.Technology.Ever.

While reading my weekly posts from around the design web, I ran across this amazing new tech called Augmented Reality. AR, as it is referred to in the industry, integrates 3D objects into live video, the video is digitally processed and “augmented” with the 3D components. In other words this digital processing mixes real and virtual worlds together, in real time.

So after researching this a bit and finding cool video snippets (see below), I actually was able to demo this myself using several websites (see further below). After playing around and showing this to the office, I can say that this is the coolest thing I have seen come out of technology in a long time. Leading the way with AR is Total Immersion.  They have even signed with Topps Baseball Card Co. who is jumping the shark and using AR in their 2009 lineup of specialty cards.

Video examples of AR:

2007 demonstration:



Mini Cooper Germany Demo:

Topps Baseball Cards Website. 

Demonstrations. In both cases, you must print out the marker PDF and have a webcam. 

Demo #1 (scroll past demo video to see directions)

Demo #2